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The  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
March  10,  1923 
The  Rural  New-Yorker 
THE  BUSINESS  FARMER’S  PAPER 
A  National  Weekly  Journal  lor  Country  and  Suburban  Homes 
Established  tsso 
Published  weekly  by  the  Rural  Publishing  Company.  3.13  West  30th  Street,  New  Cork 
Herbert  W.  Collingwood,  President  and  Editor. 
John  J.  Dillon,  Treasurer  and  General  Manager. 
Wm.  F.  Dillon,  Secretary.  Mrs.  E.  T.  Royle,  Associate  Editor. 
L.  H.  Murphy,  Circulation  Manager. 
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Advertising  rates,  $1.00  per  agate  line — 7  words.  References  required  for 
advertisers  unknown  to  us  ;  and  casli  must  accompany  transient  orders. 
A  SQUARE  DEAL” 
We  believe  that  every  advertisement  in  this  paper  is  backed  by  a  respon¬ 
sible  person.  We  use  every  possible  precaution  and  admit  the  advertising  of 
reliable  houses  only.  But  to  make  doubly  sure,  we  will  make  good  any  loss 
to  paid  subscribers  sustained  by  trusting  any  deliberate  swindler,  irrespon¬ 
sible  advertisers  or  misleading  advertisements  in  our  columns,  and  any 
such  swindler  will  be  publicly  exposed.  We  are  also  often  called  upon 
to  adjust  differences  or  mistakes  between  our  subscribers  and  honest, 
responsible  houses,  whether  advertisers  or  not.  We  willingly  use  our  good 
offices  to  this  end,  but  such  cases  should  not  be  confused  with  dishonest 
transactions.  We  protect  subscribers  against  rogues,  but  we  will  not  be 
responsible  for  the  debts  of  honest  bankrupts  sanctioned  by  the  courts. 
Notice  of  the  complaint  must  be  sent  to  us  within  one  month  of  the  time  of 
the  transaction,  and  to  identify  it,  you  should  mention  The  Rural  N*W- 
Yorkf.ii  when  writing  the  advertiser.  , 
To  those  who  don’t  like  this  country,  who  don’t  like 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States,  my  advice  is  to  go  back  where 
they  came  from. 
HAT  is  part  of  the*  speech  of  Gov.  Smith,  deliv¬ 
ered  on  Washington’s  Birthday.  The  senti¬ 
ments  fit  the  occasion.  In  Washington’s  day  there 
was  a  good-sized  army  of  occupation.  These  soldiers 
did  not  like  the  constitution  or  the  declaration,  but 
they  went  “back  where  they  came  from.”  There  is 
now  another  army  which  might  well  follow!  There 
are  some  hateful  foreigners  who  do  not  want  to  be 
Americans.  There  are  sneering  and  selfish  people, 
born  in  this  country,  who  criticize,  yet  never  at¬ 
tempt  to  improve  conditions.  Then  there  are  so- 
called  Americans,  educated  and  well-to-do,  living  on 
inherited  money  and  doing  no  work — “parlor  bol¬ 
sheviks.”  We  should  like  to  see  them  all  “take  ship 
and  depart.”  The  country  would  be  safer  and  saner 
without  them.  We  do  not  join  those  satisfied  souls 
who  say  “this  country  is  good  enough  for  me!”  We 
all  know  it  is  not  as  good  as  it  ought  to  he,  but  no¬ 
where  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  where  sun  shines  and 
water  runs,  can  we  make  a  better  county  if  we  will 
all  do  our  share. 
BOTH  science  and  practice  seem  to  have  exploded 
two  notions  which  many  farmers  have  be¬ 
lieved.  One  is  that  the  use  of  acid  phosphate  will 
sour  the  land.  The  other  is  the  belief  that  the  con¬ 
tinued  use  of  manure  from  cows  that  are  fed  on 
silage  will  increase  acidity  in  the  soil.  We  can 
easily  see  how  such  notions  might  grow  into  beliefs. 
Acid  phosphate  is  produced  by  using  sulphuric  acid. 
It  is  easy  to  assume  that  this  powerful  acid,  when 
put  in  the  soil,  must  increase  its  acidity.  The  truth 
seems  to  be  that  it  does  nothing  of  the  sort.  In  fact, 
it*  chemical  action  in  the  soil  seems  to  decrease  acid¬ 
ity.  That  has  been  the  result  after  many  years  of 
using  acid  phosphate.  We  all  know  how  sorrel 
ranks  among  plants  as  being  “sour  as  a  pickle.” 
Yet,  when  a  crop  of  sorrel  is  plowed  under,  chemical 
changes  occur  which  actually  increase  the  amount 
of  active  lime,  and  to  that  extent  make  the  soil  a  lit¬ 
tle  more  alkaline.  As  for  silage,  no  one  needs  to  be 
told  that  it  is  a  sour  product.  Therefore,  the  infer¬ 
ence  is  that  it  must  make  the  manure  acid  and  thus 
increase  the  acidity  of  the  soil.  If  the  silage  were 
put  right  on  the  soil,  or  mixed  directly  with  the 
manure,  there  would  be  something  in  that,  but 
through  the  processes  of  digestion  the  acids  of  the 
silage  are  largely  changed  or  eliminated,  so  that  the 
manure  from  animals  which  are  fed  on  it  is  alkaline. 
Of  course  where  the  moldy  or  waste  silage  is  thrown 
directly  into  the  manure,  there  would  be  some  little 
trouble,  but  farmers  may  safely  conclude  that 
neither  acid  phosphate  nor  silage,  properly  used,  will 
sour  the  land. 
5k 
THE  New  York  fruit  growers  at  Poughkeepsie 
started  something  that  can  be  developed  into  a 
great  advertising  scheme  for  Eastern  apples.  They 
propose  to  unite  with  other  Eastern  fruit  organiza¬ 
tions  and  stage  a  great  fruit  show  next  Fall  in  New 
York  City.  It  will  not  be  an  ordinary  exhibition; 
that  is,  great  piles  of  fruit  with  a  few  people  walk¬ 
ing  solemnly  around  them,  apparently  as  much 
afraid  to  eat  an  apple  as  Eve  was  to  touch  the  for¬ 
bidden  fruit.  That  sort  of  a  fruit  show  never  gets 
anywhere — never  sells  an  apple.  The  object  of  the 
proposed  show  is  to  make  the  New  Yoik  people  leal- 
ize  that  right  here  in  our  own  section  are  to  be 
found  the  ffnest  apples  in  the  world.  We  are  willing 
to  admit  that  the  orange  may  fairly  be  called  the 
queen  of  fruit,  but  a  mellow,  spicy  apple  is  king, 
and  the  king  always  takes  the  queen.  Someone  has 
said  that  New  York  City  is  underbred  and  overfed. 
We  will  not  discuss  that  now,  but  we  feel  that  asso¬ 
ciation  with  beautiful  apples  will  help  the  under- 
breeding,  while  eating  an  apple  a  day  will  help  the 
overfeeding  part  of  it.  Before  we  are  done  with 
this  big  city  we  want  to  see  that  each  one  of  the 
seven  million  people  who  are  clustered  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Hudson  eats  at  least  three  barrels  of  apples 
each  year.  But,  seriously,  the  suggested  fruit  show 
is  the  best  move  yet  thought  of  to  advertise  Eastern 
apples.  There  are  wonderful  exhibitions  here  each 
year  to  advertise  the  interests  of  poultry,  chemicals, 
automobiles,  horses,  or  electrical  devices.  Now  let 
us  all  get  together  and  organize  a  fruit  show  that 
will  rival  any  of  these  great  exhibitions  in  popular¬ 
ity  and  solid  benefit.  Let’s  make  New  York  City  eat 
apples  as  her  people  never  did  before. 
sk 
OZENS  of  our  readers  say  they  want  to  name 
their  farms,  and  have  the  names  properly  regis¬ 
tered.  In  New  York  State  this  can  be  done  by  ap¬ 
plying  to  the  county  clerk.  Under  a  State  law  he 
is  required  to  furnish  blank  forms  for  application, 
and  for  a  small  fee  he  will  register  the  name.  There 
is  also  a  State  registration  which  will  be  made  at 
Albany. 
5k 
HE  national  shipping  bill,  known  as  “subsidy,” 
was  talked  to  death  in  the  Senate.  Under  the 
present  Senate  i*ules  it  is  possible  for  a  "-'w  leather- 
lunged  orators  to  wait  until  near  the  end  of  a  ses¬ 
sion  of  Congress  and  then  “talk  against  time”  so  as 
to  prevent  a  bill  from  coming  to  a  vote.  This  is 
called  a  “filibuster,”  and  it  was  worked  for  all  it 
was  worth  in  killing  the  subsidy.  Had  it  come  to  a 
vote  we  think  the  bill  would  have  won  by  a  narrow 
margin.  Farmers  were  divided  on  the  subject;  the 
great  majority  apparently  opposed  to  the  bill,  and  it 
was  really  defeated  by  the  “farm  bloc.”  Some  West¬ 
ern  farmers  favored  the  bill  on  the  theory  that  a 
development  of  our  merchant  marine  would  help  to 
develop  our  export  trade  in  farm  products.  Against 
the  bill  were  the  arguments  that  it  would  create  a 
monopoly,  grant  special  privilege,  directly  benefit 
only  a  few  special  interests,  and  cost  more  money 
than  the  nation  can  afford  at  this  time. 
>k 
SURPRISING  number  of  people  have  sent  us 
clippings  from  the  Rochester  (N.  Y.)  papers 
reporting  a  speech  by  one  Edward  G.  Miner.  This 
gentleman  seems  to  be  a  manufacturer  of  tanks, 
and  he  certainly  uncorked  a  tankful  of  poisoned 
hot  air  and  sent  it  in  the  general  direction  of  agri¬ 
culture.  Here  is  a  sample: 
“I  think  you  will  also  find  that  the  farmer  loafs  on 
the  job  part  of  the  time.  If  he  would  do  the  work  at 
baud  as  we  do  our  work  he  could  do  it  in  a  few  hours 
each  day,  considering  the  number  of  hours  iu  the  year 
instead  of  the  rush  work  in  crop  time.  He  lias  seven 
months  of  working  time  and  five  months — the  Winter — 
free.  This  makes  the  average  for  the  year  for  the 
farmer  about  seven  hours  a  day.” 
Well,  what’s  the  use? 
“Wherefore  tongues  are  for  a  sign,  not  to  them 
that  believe,  but  to  them  that  believe  not!” 
Of  course  a  dairyman  never  has  to  look  at  a  cow 
ail  Winter.  According  to  Mr.  Miner,  a  farmer  just 
sits  by  the  fire  and  sleeps  for  five  months.  We  wish 
sometimes  that  the  farmers  of  the  country  would 
just  do  that  for  one  Winter.  Yon  would  then  hear 
a  very  different  song  from  Mr.  Miner  and  his  like. 
You  cannot  argue  with  such  men.  Time  spent  in 
answering  their  theories  is  wasted.  They  are  just 
malignant.  In  every  neighborhood  there  are  several 
citizens  who  have  cultivated  a  mean  “grouch.” 
They  are  known  locally  by  the  appropriate  name 
of  “cusses.”  We  do  not  know  how  to  describe  them 
more  accurately.  When  these  people  live  in  the  city 
they  require  only  an  opportunity  for  venting  their 
feelings  on  farmers  and  farming.  Do  not  give  them 
the  satisfaction  of  thinking  their  flings  are  effective. 
* 
R.  ROOT,  on  page  380,  makes  out  a  fine  story 
for  windmill  electricity.  For  many  years 
this  has  been  the  dream  of  thousands  who  have 
lived  more  or  less  in  darkness  and  with  lack  of 
power.  Here  is  the  wind  blowing  day  by  day  over 
the  farm.  It  costs  nothing.  Why  not  harness  it, 
and  make  it  generate  electric  current  which  shall 
light  and  heat  our  homes,  turn  our  working  wheels 
and  drive  our  cars  along  the  road?  Why  not? 
That’s  a  fair  question,  and  the  idea  of  utilizing  this 
cheap  power  is  very  attractive.  But  somehow  it 
has  not  panned  out.  The  general  distribution  of 
gasoline  engines  practically  drove  the  windmill  out 
of  business.  We  rarely  see  one  now.  We  have  one 
that  did  good  service  for  20  years  with  little  or  no 
cost,  yet  we  surely  use  it.  Can  the  windmill  stage  a 
comeback  in  the  face  of  the  gasoline  engine?  We 
doubt  it,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  a  few  men  like 
Mr.  Root  can  make  it  go.  Out  on  the  breezy  West¬ 
ern  plains  would  be  the  natural  place  for  the  electric 
windmill.  We  have  spent  some  little  time  investi¬ 
gating,  and  the  general  opinion  seems  to  be  that 
while  the  mills  will  develop  the  current,  the  original 
cost  of  the  outfit  is  so  great  that,  on  the  whole,  a 
gasoline  engine  will  be  cheaper. 
* 
N  the  next  page  is  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  new 
school  law  now  before  the  New  York  Legisla¬ 
ture.  There  is  also  a  discussion  of  it.  The  introduc¬ 
tion  of  this  bill  came  as  a  great  surprise  to  most 
farmers.  While  perhaps  no  definite  promise  was 
made,  the  general  understanding  was  that  a  full 
year  would  be  given  to  a  study  and  discussion  of 
the  matter.  That  was  clearly  the  case  up  to  the 
late  election.  A  majority  of  our  farmers  now  feel 
that  the  Legislature  is  controlled  by  elements  which 
have  no  real  sympathy  for  the  vital  problems  of 
rural  life.  To  put  it  squarely,  farmers  feel  that  the 
effort  to  pass  the  school  bill  without  prolonged  study 
and  discussion  is  being  pressed  by  New  York  City 
and  its  representatives.  If  it  be  jammed  through 
the  Legislature  by  these  city  influences  it  will  be  a 
clear  case  of  attempting  to  administer  a  law  “with¬ 
out  the  consent  of  the  governed.”  Anyone  who 
knows  the  conditions 'in  the  rural  districts  of  New 
York  .State  will  realize  that  a  law  which  is  antagon¬ 
istic  to  the  feelings  of  a  majority  of  farmers  can¬ 
not  be  properly  enforced.  Our  chief  opposition  to 
the  law  at  this  time  is  that  the  people  do  not  fully 
understand  it  and  are  not  x’eady  for  it.  It  should 
hold  over  and  come  up  as  an  issue  in  the  election 
of  the  next  Legislature. 
sk 
THE  Winter,  now  beginning  to  pass  away,  has 
been  very  hard  on  many  of  our  people.  The 
snow  has  hung  on  longer  than  usual,  for  there  has 
been  little,  if  any,  “January  thaw.”  This  has  made 
it  impossible  for  many  delicate  or  ailing  people  to 
get  out  and  about.  They  have  been  shut  in,  away 
from  neighbors  and  friends,  and  the  monotony  of 
life  has  had  its  effect  upon  nerves  and  temper.  In 
many  cases  life  has  been  rubbed  raw,  and  only  one 
with  a  fine  and  strong  philosophy  can  keep  sweet 
and  cheerful  under  such  circumstances.  This  con¬ 
dition  is  revealed  in  correspondence.  Many  sail 
human  experiences  and  many  sad  family  troubles 
are  presented  to  us.  We  fully  realize  just  what  this 
means.  The  people  who  come  to  us  with  their 
troubles  are  not  common  fault-finders — they  have 
just  come  to  the  point  where  they  feel  that  they 
must  talk  with  some  sympathetic  friend,  and  we 
appreciate  the  fact  that  they  regard  us  as  such.  Our 
great  regret  is  that  we  cannot  be  of  greater  service. 
We  just  want  our  people  to  know  that  we  fully  un¬ 
derstand  wliat  life  means  during  this  long  Winter 
— off  in  lonely  places,  shut  in,  it  may  be,  with  hard 
and  galling  conditions.  Spring  is  on  the  way.  The 
.snow  and  ice  will  soon  melt,  and  when  the  vision  of 
grass  and  flowers  is  once  more  spread  before  us  it 
will  seem  more  glorious  than  ever  for  the  troubles 
of  this  Winter. 
Brevities 
The  great  legume  for  acid  soils  is  the  Soy  bean. 
Well,  now,  are  you  to  be  the  bead  or  the  tail  of 
your  own  household? 
It  is  absolutely  astonishing  how  the  consumption  of 
lettuce  and  tomatoes  is  increasing  among  city  people. 
The  “sludge”  from  an  acetylene  lighting  plant  con¬ 
tains  lime — about  as  valuable  as  ground  limestone.  It 
has  no  other  fertilizing  value. 
There  is  much  complaint  about  the  depluming  mite 
on  chickens  this  year.  Lard  and  kerosene  or  sulphur 
ointment  will  usually  stop  the  mites. 
Fruit  growers  in  the  North  are  asking  for  a  good 
substitute  for  the  Baldwin  apple — but  they  will  have  a 
job  to  find  one. 
The  new  President  of  Poland  is  Stanislaus  Wojcie- 
howski.  Could  you  stand  by  him  in  a  spelling  match, 
or  save  your  life  by  pronouncing  his  name?  . 
From  an  ideal  correspondent :  “I  hope  you  will  like 
my  article.  If  you  do  not,  drop  it  in  the  wastebasket. 
I  had  a  good  time  writing  it,  anyway.” 
A  knowledge  of  shorthand  or  stenography  would  be 
useful  to  anyone  who  can  read  and  write.  So  would  a 
general  knowledge  of  lip  reading.  Can’t  learn  it?  What 
are  you  doing  with  your  idle  time? 
Honest,  now,  is  there  any  reason  why  any  man  with 
10  acres  or  more  should  not  have  baked  apple  any  day 
he  wants  it,  for  nine  months  of  the  year? 
We  want  truthful  reports  on  the  behavior  of  Hubam 
clover.  It  is  claimed  by  some  that  the  Hubam  is  in¬ 
ferior  to  the  old  biennial  variety.  We  want  the  truth, 
no  matter  who  may  be  hurt. 
Hereafter,  under  the  Federal  laws  covering  indem¬ 
nity  for  killing  tuberculous  cattle,  “no  compensation 
will  be  paid  for  tuberculous  steers  or  unregistered 
bulls.”  The  Federal  government  does  not  seem  to  have 
any  respect  for  scrub  or  grade  bulls,  yet  there  are  some 
registered  animals  that  cannot  touch  a  grade  for  per¬ 
formance  and  vigor. 
